Weekly Global Climate Highlights Map for January 12, 2002

1. Florida:

BELOW-NORMAL TEMPERATURES LIMITED TO FLORIDA
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 5°C below normal across Florida as remnants of cold Canadian air remained entrenched. Lows dropped below 10°C across all of Florida, except for the Keys, and subfreezing lows covered the northern two-thirds of the state [COLD - Ending at 3 weeks].

2. Europe:

ANOTHER DRY WEEK
Little or no precipitation was reported across the entire continent during the past week. Since mid-October, precipitation totals varied widely from 50 to 400 mm, yielding 13-week shortfalls of 100 to 300 mm in Ireland, Scotland, western England, western and southern France, Portugal, northern Spain, and the Alps [DRY - Up to 17 weeks].

3. Central and Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa:

COLD AIR SHIFTS SOUTHEASTWARD
Weekly temperature departures of -2°C to -6°C dominated central and southeastern Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, and northern Africa, with scattered departures of -6°C to -8°C in southeastern Europe and central Turkey. Subfreezing lows dominated the entire region, with readings below -10°C across much of Turkey and southeastern Europe. Meanwhile, the mercury plummeted below -20°C across the interior portions of central and eastern Turkey [COLD - Up to 10 weeks].

4. Turkey and the Middle East:

PRECIPITATION ABATES
Scattered moderate precipitation amounts (50 to 100 mm) were reported in central and eastern Turkey and along the Mediterranean Coast of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. During the last 13 weeks, 100 to 600 mm of precipitation accumulated across western, northern, and southern sections of Turkey and in northwestern Syria, resulting in moisture surpluses of 100 to 250 mm [WET - Up to 13 weeks].

5. Southwestern Mali:

WARM POCKET REMAINS
Temperatures were 2°C to 4°C above normal in southwestern Mali, with highs ranging from 33°C to 37°C [WARM - Ending at 6 weeks].

6. Southwestern Asia:

LARGE POSITIVE TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES PERSIST
Weekly temperature departures of +6°C to +12°C dominated eastern Iran, most of Kazakhstan, western Mongolia, and south-central Siberia while departures of +3°C to +6°C prevailed elsewhere. The mercury climbed above freezing as far north as eastern Kazakhstan and south-central Siberia, and exceeded 20°C as far north as southern Kazakhstan. Readings below -20°C were restricted to northwestern Kazakhstan and western Mongolia [WARM - Up to 9 weeks].

7. Eastern Australia:

WARM ANOMALY CONTINUES
Temperatures averaged 2°C to 4°C above normal during the past week. Highs ranged from 40°C to 43°C in the interior and along the Queensland/New South Wales border while reading in the thirties (°C) prevailed elsewhere [WARM - Up to 3 weeks].

8. Western and Central Australia:

SUBNORMAL TEMPERATURES PREVAIL
Weekly temperature departures of -2°C to -4°C covered the western two-thirds of Australia, but highs still exceeded 40°C across much of the interior and reached 30°C elsewhere. The mercury generally remained above 20°C across the northern half of the region [COLD - Up to 15 weeks].

9. Southeastern Australia:

PRECIPITATION DEFICITS REPORTED
Although 25 to 100 mm of rain fell on parts of east-central New South Wales, most of Victoria and the remainder of New South Wales received little or none. Fewer than 170 mm of rain fell on the region since mid-November, allowing short-term moisture deficits of 50 to 150 mm to accumulate [DRY - Up to 7 weeks].

SPECIAL NOTICE

Tropical storm tracks are no longer depicted in this product. Please check websites of the Tropical Prediction Center and the University of Hawaii for these data and other details. Comments are appreciated. Thank you.